Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

Posted by CrankyPants

As for DS and daycare-yes, daycare can be difficult to embrace. You put your trust, your world, your child in the hands of another for part of the day. This is a very difficult thing to so. However, there are so many benefits to it-education, socialization, structure, etc. Try focusing on that, and all of what you do as a mom to provide for your family.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I'll be taking either 6 or 12 weeks (haven't completely decided yet) My mom and MIL will be watching the baby when I go back to work

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I plan on going back after 12 weeks. I don't get paid leave so I'm relying on disability and short term disability. My girlfriend has a daycare in West Babylon and is VERY affordable.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I am taking 12 weeks to run concurrently with FMLA. 6 weeks paid at 70%; 4 weeks paid at 100% and then 2 weeks vacation.

We need to find daycare four days a week for 10 hours a day; DH and I are both working from home on Fridays. We live in the city and can't afford to live on one salary.

We are hoping for a nanny but we will see how the finances work out. I wish my mom or MIL could take care of our baby instead of a complete stranger!

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I will probably be taking about 5 months off. Only a small part of that time will be paid from vacation and sick days. The rest will be unpaid but DH and I started a savings account just for this purpose a while ago so we will be ok with me not getting paid for the rest of the time.

I am definitely going back to work but Im just unsure if it will be full time or 3/4 time.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I'm taking either 12 or 16 weeks.
6 weeks will be paid, the rest will not be.

It will be rough financially, but I think it's worth it to be home longer.

My child will be going into daycare after that. I was bummed about it at first & felt like a terrible mommy. But you get used to the idea. Once you find a place you like, you'll feel more comfortable with it

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I'm going back after 6 weeks. My dad is my boss and there is just three of us who work here in the office, so they need me back right away. While I'm not thrilled about having to go back so soon, I am switching to part time from full time and I am grateful to have the opportunity for that. Also my mom is going to watch while I am at work and I am very happy about that as well!

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I will be going back to work, DH and I are looking to buy a house within the next year, so we'll need my income as well.

I have a pretty terriffic maternity leave 12wks, plus I have some over a weeks vacation left to take. I can take additional time off for maternity leave but then I get pro-rated salary...90% of my salary for the first additional month, etc. I can work 3-4 days a week, and as for childcare, I'm hoping MIL and my mom will alternate with daycare.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I'll only be off for 6 weeks and then I got back to 50 hour weeks. My mom will be watching the baby.

It sucks but I have no choice. I'm doing my hospital internship this year so it's 1 full year of work, Sept-August 31st, no exceptions. I'm lucky they are giving me the 6 weeks even though I'll have to make up the hours otherwise I won't have the hours necessary for my license.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I am going back probably after 6 weeks, full time. I will have to use all of my sick time in order to get paid (at the time I give birth I will have enough to cover 4 wks.) anything after that is unpaid, and we cant afford it. Luckily my mom is able to watch the baby, which I am so grateful for.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I have no choice but to go back and go back full time. There are no PT positions at my job. We have to do daycare too, and are also less than thrilled about it. Unfortunately I made more money than DH and I carry our benefits, yet I can not afford to cover DH's expenses for him to stay home either.

I have to go back after 12 weeks.ETA: My job is great in that it will use my vacation, sick, personal, and holiday pay so that I get full pay for as long as I have accrued. After that I get DI and we would only have to pay our normal contribution to our health insurance. Anything over 12 weeks they make you take COBRA though and that's $1700!!!

Message edited 7/7/2009 7:14:49 PM.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I am going back full time. I will be taking 6-8 weeks of disability and will be paid 100% for that time. I might do 4 more weeks, I am going to see. I will have next years' vacation to use or I can do unpaid.

My mother is watching the baby once a week, my MIL is watching twice a week and we are using day care two days a week (hoping to use Prime Time in Farmingdale).

Message edited 7/7/2009 7:27:52 PM.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I am part time now and did that in May to go back to school fulltime. Now i'mputting that on hold for a year and will cont. part time 2 days a week (12hr shifts) after 12 weeks off or so. We can afford it and it's important to me and DH I do this. We also talked about this when we were dating so it was no suprise that i'll be part time. I'm lucky and OT is always avail if we need it. My mom, dad, step-mom, brothers, or sisters will watch the baby. We have a HUGE family support system and we're very fortunate.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I am hoping to take 12 weeks but may end up taking anywhere from 8-12 weeks off. My job does not pay anything for FMLA. I can get paid out for my vacation time and that should be about 3-4 weeks of time. We are saving money as well to use to supplement the other weeks of no pay. We will have to see how much money we have saved by the time I go out to determine the exact amt of time I can stay out. We both have to work, we have a house and we can't afford not to.

DH and I have diff. schedules so he is home 2 days during the week so our friend - who we will pay - will watch our baby 3 days but we only need 1/2 of the day, afternoon...b/c DH goes into work around 2ish..it is about 12 hours per week, so that will help us out.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I will be going back to teach on the first day in Sept, since the clock starts on the day I give birth (unless I go late or end up with a c-section, in that case, I will take however many days make up the end of a 6 or 8 weeks paid leave.)

My mom will be watching dd, thank goodness

Message edited 7/8/2009 9:14:02 AM.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

With my DD, I went back to work full-time at 10 weeks. I won't lie, it was way too early and an unmitigated disaster. BUT, I have absolutely NO regrets about putting her in daycare - our experience with it has been absolutely phenomenal and she has flourished at her school beyond my comprehension or expectations. I could NEVER give to her everything she has gained from school, as a SAHM, and at the same time, as I've found my balance, I've found that working makes ME a better mommy, and at the same time, sets a wonderful example for her that she can pursue all her dreams and career, while also having a family.

This baby I'm taking 6 months off. My bosses have told me I can start working from home, part-time, whenever I want, which I suspect I'll do at around 4 months, and then I'll transition back to working full-time at 6 months, and will put the baby in the infant room at my daughter's school.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

Im a teacher so im due Nov and plan to take the rest of the school yr off. I will return Sept 2010.

When i go back to work my mom and MIL will watch baby and possibly a day or 2 of day care

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

im debating on coming back or not. i work in ny, live in pa, so i would get rid of the commuting costs right off the bat.

i figure my salary will go to daycare anyway, if im losing the salary,i might as well be home.
however, we have benefits through me right now and DH works for a small company so i have to see what kind of insurance they offer (they are in the midst of switching).

i also have a business i run from home that generates extra income, which i could focus on that more and have $$ coming in too.

im torn...i wouldnt mind working part time in my area or even in Philly as its close by. but i dont have the grandparents nearby to watch DS so i would hire an in home person or daycare.

decisions..decisions...

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I am getting 16 weeks leave. Then my FIL will watch the baby.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I get 12 wks paid leave and then I'll probably tack on a few more weeks and then return PT for a couple of months (using vacation days spread out).

Both kids are enrolled in daycare for March 2010. DH is off a lot during the week, so they'll never be there 5 days a wk. Personally, I prefer a daycare setting over a nanny - unless it was someone I knew and the baby was young. At Ryan's age, he really enjoys the socialization and structured playtime at "school".

Message edited 7/8/2009 10:34:50 AM.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I can get up to 16 wks FMLA. All of it is unpaid though-I have to use my accrued annual and sick leave. By the time the baby is born I will have 9 wks accrued. I will probably tack on a few weeks unpaid-not sure how much yet though. I put my name down on a waiting list for daycare where I work, so that will be it unless we come up with some other plan by then.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

With DS I was home almost 5 mos (born Feb 6, returned to work July 1). This time it'll be just over 4 months (scheduled end of August, go back after the 1st of the year - I think it winds up Jan 4th or something).

When it was just DS, he was (still is) in daycare. We can't afford both in daycare so this time I'm home 1 day a week, my mom and MIL are alternating 1 day a week and we'll have someone come in 3 days a week. I'll probably also keep DS in some sort of program 2-3 days a week.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

I'm going back after about 9 weeks. Not ideal, but my principal expected me back after 6 so this is my compromise.

will be in a home daycare setting- we really like the woman who will be watching her, and even though I know it will be really hard leaving her, I really think it's the best thing for our family.

I thought about staying home for a few years, but for me financial security is really important and I want to keep myself on track in terms of pension and years of service in my school district.

Re: If you are planning on going back to work....

Worst case senario I will be out 6 weeks, no pay. Best case I would be able to use vaca/sick for first 3 weeks then work from home until 12 weeks.

DC will be in Day Care 4 days a week, my parents will watch him 1 day a week.

Message edited 7/8/2009 1:02:21 PM.